By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

Today, "To Kill a Mockingbrd" receives classroom time throughout the nation and even the world. And this is not a call to suppress it. Never. This is merely a study question:
How do you justify Atticus Finch’s decision to keep Boo Radley’s crime a secret?

Harper Lee’s book is a masterpiece in American Literature. Perhaps you’ve seen the film (which covers but a portion of the novel) with Gregory Peck. The theme music still rings in my ears, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. But this question, posed to me in school, really made me think.

Malcolm Gladwell, the author of “Outliers”, recently wrote an excellent article on this subject in an August edition of the New Yorker, here. He gives his answer to this essay question which would have gotten an A from my teacher based upon sheer volume alone. Seriously, it’s worth a read.

Art can speak so clearly sometimes. At other times, it confuses and clouds our minds. But great art makes you feel. It elicits a reaction from your senses. Lee’s book does that. The film did that for many. How would you answer this question? It’s a tough one.